Sivakasi blaze: Owner of firecracker unit arrested

The owner of a Sivakasi cracker

manufacturing unit where a fire on September 5 claimed 39

lives was arrested today on culpable homicide not amounting to

murder and other charges from Samayanallur in this district.Murugesan, who had been absconding since the incident, was

arrested by a special police team headed by Deputy

Superintendent of Polic (Virudhunagar District) Ramamoorthy

near a temple, they said.He has bee charged under Section 304 (culpable homicide

not amounting to murder), Section 286 (negligent conduct with

respect to explosive substance), Section 337 (causing hurt by

endangering life ) and Section 338 (causing grievous..) of the

IPC along with various sections underIndian Explosives Act

and Explosive Substances Act He has been taken to Virudhunagar in connection with the

ongoing investigation. Police had earlier arrested 12 persons in connection with

the fire at Om Shakthi fireworks factory, which broke out when

workers were mixing chemicals to make fancy fire crackers. The Tamil Nadu government has ordered a magisterial probe

into the mishap at Sivakasi, the hub of the country's cracker

industry.Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma has also

ordered an inquiry into the whole incident.